Basic+ Word of the Day: join

join (verb) past tense: joined

Let's join hands.

Join means ‘to come together’ or ‘to unite.’

• Let's join hands and dance.
• The two rivers join before they reach the sea.
• Please join us as we sing the chorus.

Join also means ‘to become a member of a club or organization.’

• Robert joined the chess club at school.
• Alice joined the gym for strength training.

Common uses

join in: to take part in. Example: “Come to the party and join in the fun!”

join forces: come together for a specific purpose. Example: “If both research teams join forces, perhaps they can find a cure for this disease sooner.”

Related words

joint: the place where two bones are joined. Example: “The knee is a joint between the upper and lower leg.”

In pop culture

Watch this scene from The Simpsons of a commercial that tricks people into joining the navy by spelling it backwards.

There are other meanings of join.